St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-04
talk OF THE TAX LEVY.
Citizens and Officials Discuss an I'm
pOrtant Subject.
CAPT. BERKEY INTERVIEWED
Trying to Guess How Many Saloons
Will Take Out Licenses
Next Year.

You fellows kind of got me ratified
in the GLOBE" was the reflection of
President Peter Berkey as he looked I'D
from signing some checks at the st. Paul
National bank yesterday afternoon.
Glow was that?' was asked.
why, you didn't get me down right.
want you to take it back"
He was talking with reference to the
tax-levy meeting of last Saturday. AS
he had been represented as the cham
pion OF economy in the administration
of the city finances, he unfolded himself
in the following:
Mr.: Roche made his estimate on 81 mills.
On that he claims it would provide for all the
city expenses. But he estimates that only
200 saloons will take out 81 900 licenses,
Wh!ch would bring in revenue of $500, 900,
while believe more than $50 saloons will
take out the high license, difference you see
i'll estimating of 100000, which would
allow him to take off one mill. He will then
have the same amount he is striving for
There is no difference of opinion between us
in regard to the wants of the city. 1 believe.
however, they are spending too much money
Tor gas; they have got gas away out on the
prairie. The only theory l recommended was
to economic i'll every department. we could.
away out ON University avenue. beyond Mid
way, think. Twenty mills will meet all
they've estimated for. Mr.. Roche and my
self agree perfectly on the amount needed to
estimating He only counts in 200 saloons,
while say there will be over 800 saloons to
take out the license. One mill on the as
sessed valuation will give them $4,000.
ddn On give nothing ms e cfed fo4 they sg
licenses. As to those school estimates, took
them at par being per cent. l took them
from the Bohn Manufacturing company at
with me exactly, and SO did Aid. Cullen, on
2Om1lls, but Mr.. Sanborn wanted % mills.
Comptroller Roche is satisfied with 20 mills
I'm not In favor of 10 mills at all, All there
is about it is to have the additional 100
saloons, with aggregate licenses amounting
to 500, 900, considered, and Mr.. Roche can
reduce his levy from 81 to 20 mills. never
shaved
THOSE SCHOOL ESTIMATES.
We only take them for our customers at the
face OF them, and to accommodate them
only buy them at the bank. of course,
take them in my name. They bore z per
cent There is no margin in them at all,
except that We could have loaned money at
the time to the same parties at per cent.
Capt. Berkey produced report of
John Roche of school estimate for
$500 assigned by Geo. 81. Fletcher,
and endorsed by George w. Bohen, to
Capt. Berkey. 1t was ON the school
building in West st. Paul, and Mr..
Roche had thought it probable that
they could be paid in March or July
this year. ''They have not yet been
paid" remarked Capt. Berkey; s'all 1
object to is that they have not been paid
when they were promised to be-"
Comptroller John Roche had just re-
turned to his Office from dinner when
he was visited by a GLOBE reporter
yesterday.
''You will get the estimate of the ex-
penSeS of the city for next year when 1
submit them to the council at to-mor-
rows meeting," he remarked He was
as reticent as clam as to what the ex-
penses of the city would be, and as
evasive as a cute witness undergoing
croSs-eXaminatiOn. He did admit, how
ever, that the tax levy
he would ask for, would
be twenty-one mills on an assessed val
uation of S9O,S0O,O 900, and be ventured
to say that the tax levy proportionate
to the assessed valuation andin raised to
the cash valuation is -. - i'.- {li'+=.};;.'--
2, LOWER IN ST PAUL
than. any other city this year except De-
troit." This levy would figure up
S1,906,SOO. Bonds fall due amounting
levy is 300 mills including the one mill
general school tax provided by the last
legislature. There was no hitch be-
tween him and Dr.. Schiffmann of the
board of educatiOnh he said. The trouble
was that the board of education had fig
ured, upon valuation of S133, 100000, in
estimating its one mill school building.
''If the valuation amounted to that
much," reflected the comptroller, ''the
council would probably allow them the
s133, 900: AS it is, it will only be $780,
600. They ask AZ altogether;
it they got the additional mill
it would be So. The state
levy you must understand is 100, that
is for state purposes, but then there is
mill school tax, which makes the total
state tax 800 mills" The total bonded
Indebtedness of the city last April was
81, 162, 421.65 ON which the annual
interest was 1924. 1876. "Since then,"
Mr.. Roche says, "a large number of
bonds have been redeemed, but you will
find out the exact amount tomorrow,
also the amount of bonds issued" He
thought that an estimate of 100000 for
the interest upon the bonded indebted
ness wOnld be away off, and would not
signify as to whether $500, GOO or $1,000
would come nearer to it. There is this
much about it, however, that about
S1,0SS, 600 will be required for the city's
expenses and SS17,250 for state, school
and county expenses. The reason the
valuation is so low this year is because
the real estate is assessed only every
two years and this is an off year.
Corporation Counsel Murray hadn't
anything further to say than that he
thought the levy ought to be large
enough to cover the city's expense. Pm
tired of this beating the devil about the
bush," he said. What he evidently
meant was that it was getting too te-
diOus to be eternally in the fix of not
being able to meet the city's accounts
with ready cash when claims were pre-
scented.
Senator Albert Scheffer found time
at the Commercial National bank to say
that he would like to see the tax levy
kept low, and yet be large enough to
meet all expenses. "That's the trouble
with the state" said he to Senator
HixOn, of Grant county, and Gen. Bar
rett, of the Farmers alliance, 1.-The
state tax levy is always too low"